Prison Reform, Education, and Healthcare

Nicholas Kristof makes the connection today in the NY Times between criminal justice reform and health and education. He writes, "It’s time for a fundamental re-evaluation of the criminal justice system, as legislation sponsored by Senator Jim Webb has called for, so that we’re no longer squandering money that would be far better spent on education or health."

Bottom line: "Opponents of universal health care and early childhood education say we can’t afford them. Granted, deficits are a real constraint and we can’t do everything, and prison reform won’t come near to fully financing health care reform. Still, would we rather use scarce resources to educate children and heal the sick, or to imprison people because they used drugs or stole a pair of socks? "

What do these priorities say about us?